


Errands in the Time of Quarantine

by breatheforeverypart



Series: Watson the Service Dog and his Partner-in-health, Bucky Barnes [6]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accessibility Issues, Bucky Barnes has a Service Dog, F/M, Gen, M/M, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Watson the service dog, asgardian flu, except Wanda and Bucky, public access, quarantine inspired fic, shopping with a service dog, the avengers are taken out by a flu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23754871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breatheforeverypart/pseuds/breatheforeverypart
Summary: An Asgardian illness has visited Earth along with Thor.  They Avengers are quarantined in the Tower, with Wanda, Bucky and the recovering Sam being the only people available to care for those who are ill.  Bucky, Watson and Sam head to their nearest grocery store to do a bit of shopping.
Relationships: Avengers as family - Relationship, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Clint Barton/Laura Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Team as Family - Relationship
Series: Watson the Service Dog and his Partner-in-health, Bucky Barnes [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758628
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	Errands in the Time of Quarantine

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> All of the instances that are mentioned in this story are based on real experiences that I have had while out in public places with my own Service Dog, Watson. Quarantine shopping has been rather stressful, thankfully most employees have been accepting while I am running errands. I still have issues, but practicing as a team makes it easier to navigate these barriers to public access and educate people about SD (service dog) etiquette. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or requests regarding Bucky and Watson.

***

“Another!” Demanded Thor. His voice muffled with congestion and a mask. 

Claire wagged her finger at him. “No! You’re not due for another dose until 12.” She paused, turning her wrist to check the time. “It’s only 9.” She stripped her gloves and discarded them in the garbage. Wanda deftly closed the lid on the receptacle with a flick of magic. The nurse stifled a yawn. “God, I need more coffee. Anyone else?” 

“I’ll take a cup.” Tony piped from the opposite end of the sofa. 

Sam shoved a thermometer in Iron Man’s open mouth. “Not happening man. You destroyed the toilet on your own floor last night, what makes you think I’m gonna let you drink liquid laxative?” 

Wanda tossed a fresh pair of gloves to Wilson to change into before she announced she was going to tackle the laundry. She patted Watson. “Maybe I’ll take a nap after I get a load in. Are you okay?” Wanda asked Claire. 

Claire gulped her coffee. “Yeah, thanks honey. You get some rest okay? But shower first, and bag your clothes.” She reminded gently. Wanda nodded diligently and disappeared down the hall. 

“The lab, I have to…” Bruce croaked, his eyes closing even as he held a mug of tea. Claire gently extracted the cup and pulled a blanket over his lap. 

This Asgardian flu had taken out the entire Tower. All of the employees went sent home with pay earlier in the week. Pepper and Morgan drove out to Barton’s farm as soon as Banner suspected Thor was ill. She was now safely quarantined with Natasha and their entourage of children and animals. 

“Where’s doggy?” Lila shouted, her body vibrating with energy. 

Natasha tugged on her curls. “Ask nicely, Lila-bug.” 

“Now where’s doggy please?” She amended. 

Bucky smiled and angled the camera at his left side. Watson wagged his tail as Lila and Nat showered him in virtual attention. 

The four-year-old exited the screen and Natasha’s face re-appeared. “How are you all holding up?” 

The toilet flushed in the bathroom off the kitchen and Steve leaned against the doorframe. “Watson and I are still healthy, Claire’s here and Sam’s on the mend. Wanda seems to be immune like me, Banner was going to test us to develop treatments, but then he caught whatever this is.” 

“I’m living off of tea Romanov.” Sam shouted. “I owe you several boxes, it’s magical.” He half-carried Rogers to one of the loveseats. Steve curled into the couch, his back to the room. “Cold.” He whispered, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Sam tucked a blanket around the older man’s body and deftly checked his forehead for a fever. 

Natasha quirked an eyebrow at Barnes over the video stream. “You broke out my secret stash.” 

“Technically, I had Peter liberate it before he got sick. You can tell Barton that I’m to blame for compromising vent number 7.” Yesterday, he had led the teenager to the spot in the gym’s ventilation system where Nat and Clint retreated on bad days. 

“Peter’s down too? How many people are you nursing James?” 

Sam brushed past him on his way to the elevator, the warmth of his colleague’s body triggering him slightly. Bucky counted as he felt Watson move into a block position. 

“Peter’s the only guest. His Aunt is working doubles at the hospital. Claire comes and goes, Jones and Murdock refused to quarantine at the Tower, so she goes to force meds and fluids that aren’t booze into them a couple times a day. She’s still working shifts when she can too.” 

Natasha laughed and shook her head. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Is she okay traveling with the city shut down? Why the mask?” 

He scratched at the nosepiece of the mask self-consciously. “Temple says we’re required to wear them until the CDC gets back to us with the results from the lab-work Stark and Banner did on the God of Thunder.” 

“You okay with that?” She asked softly, remembering the years he had been forced to wear restrictive mask. When they had fought in DC, the Winter Soldier had been wearing a reinforced military mask that was rarely removed, except for HYDRA approved ‘maintenance’. 

Bucky fisted Watson’s fur, forcing himself to breath. “Yeah, I get why we have to wear them.” The elastic pulled at his ears and the fabric felt like it was suffocating him, the more he tuned into the feelings the more he began to panic. He changed the topic, trying to slow his heartrate. “I’m starting to go crazy in here though.” He gestured to the Common Room, which had morphed into an impromptu sort of sick bay in the last 72 hours. 

“Can you and Watson get out for a little and grab some provisions?” 

“Provisions.” Bucky echoed, liking the idea of fresh air. Anything to stop seeing this Tower as a cell block. “I could get ingredients to make soup.” 

Natasha rolled her eyes. “I always forget that you like to cook.” 

In recent weeks, he and Sam had discovered common ground in recipes. Steve had stumbled upon these cathartic cooking sessions more and more before the flu struck.  
Wilson and he spent long stretches of their cooking marathons in comfortable silence, which he greatly appreciated. 

A cry erupted from the baby monitor on the counter behind Natasha. “That’ll be Cooper. Call me later okay?” 

“Will do.” Bucky waved goodbye and slid the phone into his pocket. “Wilson, want to make soup?” 

***

“Damn. I knew they shut down the city, but this is bananas.” Sam smoothed the mask over his mouth. 

Bucky nodded. Even with the social distancing rule in effect, people still crowded too close to him. “Watson, block.” The dog leaned against his legs and looked up at him. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” 

Sam snorted. “Maybe. But we’re seventh in line. They should let us in soon. Do you have the list?” 

He pulled a crumpled paper from his coat. “Yeah, need anything else?” 

“You’re writing is nearly as illegible as Tony’s” Wilson squinted at the poorly formed letters. 

Bucky cleared his throat and shifted his weight. “Yeah.” He muttered, not aware of what he was responding to. 

Sam’s gaze travelled to his friend’s feet. Watson dutifully had a paw placed squarely on top of Bucky’s foot. The other three legs pressed the dog’s body against his partner’s lower half. 

“Bucky, do you want to leave?” From his time working at the VA, and his own issues, he knew the signs of an impending episode. 

The person in front of them chose that moment to face the duo and point at Watson. “That thing isn’t allowed in here. For all we know it’s carrying that virus.” The stranger pointed at the trio. 

The man’s daughter elbowed her father in the ribs lightly. “Dad no, that’s a service dog. They’re working. Leave it be.” She apologized and guided the older man back to the shopping cart. Sam frowned and stood well within Bucky’s line of sight, but blocked his right side. “I’ve got your 3.” He murmured, hoping that his words offered a bit of comfort. 

Bucky gripped Watson’s harness tightly and blew out a shaky breath. “Almost done buddy.” Watson cocked his head at him and wagged his tail. 

Sam turned to him, shopping cart in hand. “Ready?” 

Bucky drew a wet-wipe from one of the many pockets on his coat and ran it across the handle. “Yup.” 

The employee waved them through the entrance. She squealed. “Oh! I know I’m not supposed to pet her, but she’s just gorgeous!” 

Bucky smiled politely and continued walking. Sam rolled his eyes. “Does she want a sticker for knowing that she’s not supposed to pet him?” Wilson had been a fierce defender of Watson from the moment Steve told him Kate was training a service dog for Bucky. He knew from his work at the VA what a difference service dogs made in his client’s lives. Watson, in turn loved Uncle Sam. When the team wasn’t working, Sam spoiled the dog with walks, belly rubs and conversations that Bucky swore the dog understood and frequently punctuated with a friendly bark. 

The store itself was quiet, a kind of tension permeated the environment. Classic rock played through the speakers, but no one chatted. Arrows made of painter’s tape depicted the path one was supposed to follow through the aisles. 

Sam called out the produce and handed Bucky the plastic bags, pre-opened. Even with a Stark-made prosthetic, some tasks proved impossible. Those damn produce bags ranked high on his list of frustrations. 

“Do you need carrots for soup?” Sam asked, frowning at the price of organic tomatoes. 

Bucky tossed a bag of onions in the cart. “Yeah, just a small one.” 

“The Avengers don’t do small.” Sam laughed, and selected the bigger bag. 

“This is the opposite of my childhood.” Bucky muttered, starting to lose feeling in his fingers. 

“You grew up during the Depression, I can only imagine how weird stores like this one look to you and Steve.” 

At his partner’s name, Bucky looked at Sam. “Yeah. There are too many choices.” He pointed at himself. “Which you know I love.” He smirked, laughing at himself. 

“It’s your specialty.” Wilson winked as he struck a line through the last of the vegetables on the list. “Want some fruit?” 

“I could make Steve applesauce.” 

“You make your own?” Sam asked, intrigued. 

“Something my Ma taught me, it’s easy enough and the apples don’t need to be good. Perfect for what we had.” 

“Waste not, want not.” Sam quoted his Grandmother. “Anytime I wanted anything growing up, she’d say that.” 

***

“This is what you put in those quesadillas?” Bucky held the bottle of hot sauce, reading the label. 

“That’s the good stuff, Peter squirted the rest of the bottle on his eggs yesterday, let’s get another one.”

They moved through the aisle slowly, trying to maintain six feet of social distance. Watson obeyed Bucky’s commands, only occasionally sniffing at items when they stood in one place for too long. 

“Oh my god! Look. That dog is wearing shoes. So cute!!” Someone squealed behind them. 

Bucky bristled, Watson moving into a blocking position immediately. He offered the dog a treat. “Good boy.” 

“Wow. You’re wearing shoes!” Sam said under his breath. “Let’s grab eggs and milk, like every other person in the city.” 

Watson acted as a buffer between Bucky and the refrigerated displays. Sam worked quickly, aware of the intense aversion his friend had to anything cold. Scooping up everything that remained on the list he tried to engage the man in conversation. 

The words echoed quietly, somewhere around his body as Bucky fought to stay grounded. Bucky felt weak, he used to have stamina for days. Soldat did. 

“Watson, find the out.” He switched his hand to the guide handle and partially left his body. The Asset could function for days without nourishment or rest. Now, he desperately wanted to lay down in the safety of his room with Watson guarding his back. 

***

Sam sighed at the overflowing cart. “I don’t even know what an Asgardian likes to eat when they’re not puking their guts out. Any last additions Barnes?” 

Wilson’s heart dropped into his stomach, panic rising in his throat. The team was nowhere to be found in his immediate vision. He heard a man raise his voice and the sound of a body slamming against a display shelving unit. Sam ran towards the scuffle, praying he wasn’t too late. 

***

A voice punched through the fog of Bucky’s dissociation “You have to follow the arrows. Sir, you have to follow the arrows. Don’t move off the path.” A body loomed over him, a punishment was coming. 

Too many words. Anger, definitely anger. Threat. His body reacted, dropping to his knees. Another figure blurred in front of him, he flinched, falling fully into memory. 

Wilson inserted the cart between the employee and his friend. Watson looked at Sam before shoving his nose in between Bucky’s hands, interrupting the self-injurious behavior. The ex-assassin rocked, pulling at his hair. Watson pawed at the limb, whining and licking the man. 

The dog continued to work on grounding and orienting Bucky. His hand slowed in harming himself, while his breathing began to even. “Good boy Wats.” Wilson praised before turning his attention to the naïve employee. Sam handed the manager who had joined the escalating the situation a card explaining PTSD and the duties of a Service Animal. The man glared at him, but pocketed the card. “Fine. Well, they’re blocking the display. They have to move.” 

“We will.” Sam lowered himself to the floor beside his friend. “When we’re good and ready. Thank you for your understanding.” His frustration boiled under his skin, but he forced it down to deal with the present issues. 

Bucky buried his face in Watson’s fur, his breathing adjusting to the dog’s steady rhythm. 

“What do you say Watson? Ready to go home?” Sam addressed the dog, while observing Barnes for signs of a seizure or flashback. Bucky rubbed his temples, reaching out to scratch Watson’s head. 

Watson licked Bucky’s eye, the only part of his face he could access with the mask. “Ugh, pal. That can’t be sanitary.” 

“Yeah. Who knows where your eye has been.” Teased Sam, grateful his friend was able to speak. There were days where speech wasn’t possible, and they relied on ASL and gestures to communicate. 

***

Sam delegated control of the cart to Bucky, with Watson in a tight heel at his side. The queue to check out resembled the line to enter the store and the trio settled in for a long wait. Sam opened the Pokémon Go app, taking advantage of being out of the Tower to accrue some experience points. Even with the mask, Bucky could tell his friend was increasingly frustrated by trying to catch the little monsters. 

Bucky engaged in one of his trained ‘hobbies’, counting the number of people present and assessing their individual threat levels. 

“Mommy look!” A child gasped.  
She gazed at her phone, scrolling for coupons. “Uh-huh. What is it?”  
“A llama.” She stated confidently.  
The mother-in-question looked at her daughter in disbelief. Her daughter pointed excitedly at Watson. “It’s a llama!” 

Bucky laughed to himself and snuck a glance at his companion at his side. Watson nudged his leg and stared up at him. Bucky held out his hand and Watson licked his palm. “Wait until Stevie hears you’re a llama now bud.” 

***

“Just like Ma used to make.” Steve held the bowl just under his nose, letting the steam wash over his face. 

“Glad ya like it.” Watson hopped onto the sofa and licked at the aromatic broth. Bucky pressed the dog’s nose away from the bowl. 

“Mmm.” He sighed contentedly. His hair stuck up at odd angles and dark circles lined his eyes. 

Watson snuggled into the nest of blankets, at Steve’s side. Bucky rubbed his partner’s shoulder. “You’ve got to eat a little, not just look at it Stevie.” 

“But I don’t wanna throw up again.” His pursed his lips together, his complexion paling a bit. 

“Take it slow.” Sam advised from the kitchen counter. “Thor, what did I JUST say.” He smacked a towel on the edge of the sink.

The God of Thunder tipped entire bowl into his mouth and slammed the vessel onto the arm of the sofa. “Another?” He asked hopefully, dragging a hand across his beard. 

Bucky’s phone vibrated with an incoming video-call. “HIIII.” Lila greeted “We’re having ice cream!” She announced. 

Peter lifted his head from Bruce’s lap. The older man snoring loudly, his glasses askew. “Can I have some?” He asked feverishly. 

“No Petya.” Wanda offered him a bottle of water. 

He sipped at it. “But I promise I won’t eat too much. I want rainbow sprinkles.” 

“Chocolate for me.” Tony added, sleepily nuzzling against Bruce. 

Bucky flipped the camera feed to show Natasha the scene unfolding on the large couch. “Oh, that’s good. Take a picture, I think we can find a use for this.” 

Clint pushed into the frame. “Use what?” The infant held over his shoulder burped and the archer patted his bum lightly. 

“That’s a good pile of science bros.” Pepper laughed, standing on tip-toe behind her friends. She snapped a photo. 

Bucky settled himself next to Steve. He placed the half-full bowl on the coffee table and pulled his partner into his lap. Watson turned around three times, pawed gently at the afghan and curled against the curve of Steve’s legs. Perhaps this quarantine thing wasn’t so bad after all.


End file.
